Grateful, heartend but saddened!

J. Roughan

6 April 2010

Honiara 

 

Parliament's chamber echoed loud and clear last week when parliamentarian after parliamentarian stood up in the House and voiced out their sincere appreciation for Taiwan's people's continuous support for our country. Member after member recounted in great detail how a country so many miles from us. which had suffered greatly over past decades and only a few years older than ourselves has consistently been our friend.  Taiwan has given generously to our well being, our elected members recognized this truth and told the world. 

 

I was particularly grateful that our members' recognition was finally made publicly that they, not merely a government statement, were the authors of these sentiments. Yet, I was also saddened by what they said! Parliament's 50 members were right in their praise of Taiwan's generosity to the people of the constituency. They erred, however, in their misunderstanding of who the members of parliament actually are and what is their essential work. First and foremost they are the country's national leaders 

 

No matter how well a parliamentarian has been able to serve his own constituency--paying for doctor visits, school fees, emergency help, ship fares, helping the poor, etc.--by using Taiwanese funds, parliament is fundamentally the one and only body which is mandated to the fundamental duty of steering this country, the whole country, to peace, tranquility and prosperity.

 

No matter how well a constituency has been helped, assisted and raised up by another country's generosity, the parliamentarian's main work remains the well being of the nation, its health and its future prospects. Members, of course, are truly elected by the people of a particular constituency but they are elected to effectively lead a nation, not merely a particular constituency.

 

I am the last to complain if a particular constituency rides high on the back of Taiwanese largesse. But such funding must not be at the expense of little or no government initiatives to get national youth employment policy out of the doldrums, conduct a massive drive pushing quality education at all levels, a drive to raise country wide literacy standards, an energetic push to tap into women's agricultural prowess, etc. etc. A truly effective national food security strategy, for instance, is an effective step towards raising the livelihood levels of thousands of families. Half hearted statements about rice cultivation is not a national food security strategy but something from a wish list.  

 

In other words, insuring that one's constituency does well out of Taiwan funds can never be the primary yardstick measuring a parliamentarian's success or failure. As hard as it is and having little traction with the voting public, a national plan engaging our youth in jobs, for example, is worth much more to national well being than thousands of dollars spent on individual project proposals, welfare payments and personal handouts. If the only substantial thing a member brings to his electorate year after year, is another country's funding and fails to bring national policies and sound legislation, then that member ceases to be a national leader. 

 

Of course many voters don't see it that way at all! If I am an olo in a village, youth employment, quality schooling, food security, etc. has little meaning to me. A hundred or two, given to me by my member, sitting nicely in my pocket, makes all the difference in the world. That's the reality of today's politics. It's a hard act to follow but if a member wants to be a national leader than he must constantly work on country-wide plans, come up with new ways of understanding the fast changing Solomons world and continuously work on changing people's thinking.

 

Some members currently call for the election of a completely new membership--except themselves, of course--in June's national poll. We have heard this tune before! However, even if each and every member of today's house was replaced by a brand new face, much of the same thinking and conduct would continue.

 

No, something more radical, more fundamental is called for. Parliament has become too bloated, too out of touch with the rest of the nation. What is needed is a complete review of how this country should be governed. Already the seeds of this new governance pattern is being hammered out where the bulk of decisions are made by people close to the action, close to the nation's resource base and closer to Solomons reality. The Solomons is a nation of villages NOT a group of Honiara people out of touch with this reality who have legislated the bulk of the national  wealth flowing to themselves.